Devices for feeding particulate products such as powdered or granular materials from a container

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to devices for feeding particulate products such as powdered or granular materials from a container, and the object of the invention is to prevent or minimize any tendency for the product to become packed to form bridges that considerably hamper their removal. In the invention, at least one part of the container is mounted for rotation on a smooth surface of a fixed pedestal. This pedestal has a discharge vessel for the product extending substantially diametrically to the container. Conveniently this discharge channel is trough-shaped.

United States Patent 1191 Taupin Mar. 26, 1974 [541 DEVICES FOR FEEDINGPARTICULATE 3.203.599 8/1965 Renner 222/413 x PRODUCTS S s POWDERED 03,669,076 6/1972 Ellis 222/169 X 1,298,766 4/1919 Morgan 222/413 XGRANULAR MATERIALS FROM A 2,409,619 10/1946 Fitch 222/386 CONTAINER1,639,370 8/1927 Flegel 222/345 [75] Inventor: Andre Taupin, Urzy, Fra3,648,896 3/1972 Baltz 222/168 [73] Assignee: Ste 'lransitube Plan deCampagne, primary Examiner stanley H. n

Cabnesi France Assistant EmminerNorman L. Stack, Jr. 22 Filed; June 20 172 Attorney, Agent, or FirmNathaniel A. Humphries [21] Appl. No.:264,692 [57] ABSTRACT This invention relates to devices for feedingparticul l Foreign pp y Data late products such as powdered or granularmaterials June 29, 1971 France 71.23792 fr m a n n n the object of t invn i n i o prevent or minimize any tendency for the product to [52] US.Cl. 222/168, 222/413 become packed to form bridges that considerably[51] Int. Cl. 867d 5/00 hamper their removal. In the invention, at leastone [58] Field of Search 222/ 169, 172,239,413, part of the container ismounted for rotation on a 222/386, 382, 168, 345; 259/30, 33 smoothsurface ofa fixed pedestal. This pedestal has a discharge vessel for theproduct extending substan- [56] References Cited tially diametrically tothe container. Conveniently this UNITED STATES PATENTS discharge channelis trough-shaped. 3,402,918 9/1968 Soulier 259/30 10 Claims, 6 DrawingFigures memo-mam 3799404 SHEET 3 BF 3 T f' E DEVICES FOR FEEDINGPARTICULATE PRODUCTS SUCH AS POWDERED OR GRANULAR MATERIALS FROM ACONTAINER The present invention relates to devices for feedingparticulate, e.g. powdered or granular, products from a container.

To store powdered or granular products, storage hoppers are used intowhich the products are loaded at the upper part and flow by gravity tothe base thereof. However, many granular materials, and powdered onesespecially, have a tendency to become packed and to form bridges whichconsiderably hamper their removal.

To overcome this drawback it is known to use devices in which the vesselcontaining the product and the base of the vessel, are agitated in arotary movement, independently one of the other, and in which theproduct is discharged through a lateral slot provided between the innersleeve of the vessel and its base.

However, this relatively complicated device requires a rake which ismovable relatively to the base of the vessel to assist the lateraldischarge of the product.

According to another known device, the vessel is fixed and its base,which is rotatably mounted, incorporates at least one radial aperturefor the discharge of the product.

However, this device does not allow the outflow to be acted upondirectly from the upper portion of the vessel and furthermore does notprevent the formation of bridges in the product.

It is an object of the invention to overcome or minimise these drawbacksand to effect, in a simple manner, the steady withdrawal of a powderedproduct from a stored quantity whilst at the same time preventing orminimising the formation of bridges in the product.

According to the invention at least one part of the vessel is rotatablymounted on the smooth surface of a fixed pedestal andhaving a productdischarge channel extending substantially diametrically across thevessel.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be better understoodfrom perusal of the description, which is to follow, referring toseveral examples of embodiment by way of example and with reference tothe accompanying drawings in which:-

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a feeding device forpowdered or granular products,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the device shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is an axial section through another embodiment of the device,

FIG. 4 is plan view of the device shown in FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one method of driving the hopper and ofa helical discharge member,

FIG. 6 is an elevation, partly in section, of another embodiment inwhich the upper portion of the hopper is fixed, and

Referring now to the drawings, in FIGS. 1 and 2 a feeding device isshown comprising a hopper l intended to take powdered or granularproduct and rotatably mounted, in the direction of Arrow A, on thesmooth surface 2 of a fixed pedestal 3, the product actually resting onsaid pedestal.

The pedestal 3 has a channel 4 extending diametrically across the hopperl and through which the powdered or granular product can flow out whenthe said hopper is rotatably driven.

In the channel 4 which can take the form of a trough of appropriatecircular section in the pedestal 3, is set an extraction means which isformed, in the case of FIGS. 1 and 2, by a helical spring 5 rotatablydriven in the direction of the Arrow B to move the product which fallsinto the channel 4, in the direction of the arrow C. The product is thengathered up at one of the ends of the channel or trough 4. To achievesatisfactory efficiency in the feeder, the edges 6, 6a of the circularchannel should be as sharp as possible and the helical spring should beflush with the surface 2 of the pedestal. Although a helical member hasbeen shown as the extraction means, it is clear that any other means,such as an endless chain or a belt, may be used. Near its base, thehopper l is fitted with a flange 7 via which it rests on running anddrive means, which will be described subsequently, in connection withFIG. 3, but is not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The feeding device operates in the following manner: the hopper 1 beingfilled with powdered or granular product, the helical spring 5 is set inmotion in the direction of arrow B such that the product which hasfallen into the channel 4 at the time of filling, is fed-out in thedirection of arrow C. However, the channel being very narrow, a bridgewould soon be formed, resulting in running empty, if the hopper l werenot driven round in the direction of the arrow A, thus causing theproduct to tumble down and the channel 4 to be supplied. In fact, theproduct resting on the surface 2 of the pedestal 3 is to some degreeplaned off by channel 4 and steady extraction is thus ensured. Theproduct to be extracted may be considered as a solid body rotating aboutan axis and whose base is being shaved, as is done with a lathe tomachine the base of a cylinder.

In FIGS. 3 and 4 an embodiment of the feeder is shown in which theflange 7 similar to those of FIGS. 1 and 2, is guided by lower rollers 8and upper rollers 9, which are rotatably mounted on brackets 10. Thelower rollers 8 support the hopper 1 which has, in the case of FIGS. 3and 4, a frusto-conical shape, as opposed to the cylindrical shape ofthat of FIGS. 1 and 2.

Further, the rotary drive of the hopper l and the helical member 5 iseffected by a reduction-drive or a variable drive 11 including a firstoutput shaft 12 to which is fixed a roller 13 which is in contact withthe upper face of the flange 7 and produces the rotary drive of thehopper, the roller 40 being mounted free to rotate on a second outputshaft 15 which is connected to the helical spring.

This arrangement allows the hopper and the helical spring to be drivenround differentially. In fact, this amounts to driving the hopper roundby a few degrees per turn or number of turns of the helical spring.

According to another embodiment shown in FIG. 5, a single output shaft16 of a reduction drive or a variable drive is used, which is connectedto the helical spring 5 and to which is keyed a roller 17 bearing aprojection 18 extending over a certain angle and intended to makecontact with the lower face of the flange 7 to move the hopper by afraction of a revolution when the helical spring is moved by onerevolution.

At its end which opens into the discharge orifice for the product, thehelical spring 5 of FIGS. 3, 4 and 6 is housed in a funnel l9 andincludes at its end a deaggregating member 20 and a torsion-settingdevice for the helix.

In order to achieve total evacuation of the product in the hopper, amember in the form of a wire 21 (FIG. 3) or a rod of small section isplaced diametrically near the surface 2 of the base pedestal 3. Thiswire-form member 21 moves the product round when the pressure on thewall of the hopper is lower than that on the pedestal.

To seal the device, there is provided, in the space between the pedestaland the base of the hopper, a joint formed by a circular channel 22 inwhich vanes 23 solidly attached to the base of the hopper 1 are free torotate.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the upper portion 24 of the hopper isfixed and rests by means of support brackets 25 on a support plate 26aalso bearing the pedestal 3.

In its lower portion, the hopper has a skirt 26 which alone is drivenround, in the same manner as described above, via the flange 7. In thiscase, a joint 27, which may be pneumatic, must be provided between theupper portion 24 of the hopper and the skirt 26.

Naturally, various modifications may be made by a man skilled in the artto the devices which have just been described, solely as non-limitingexamples, without departing from the scope of the invention, as deflnedby the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for feeding particulate products at controlled rates from avertical container, said device comprising a stationary pedestal havinga smooth upper plane surface and a lower surface positionable on anyplanar supporting surface, a bottomless vertical container having avertical axis with said vertical container being mounted for rotation ofits lower end about the said vertical axis on said smooth upper planesurface of said pedestal, drive means for rotating said bottomlessvertical container about said vertical axis, a troughshaped channel insaid smooth upper plane surface extending transversely beneath andoutwardly beyond the periphery of the lower end of said verticalcontainer for receiving particulate products from said verticalcontainer and means for moving particulate products in saidtrough-shaped channel along the length of said trough-shaped channel tobe discharged from one end of said trough-shaped channel outwardlybeyond the periphery of said vertical container.

2. The invention of claim 1 in which said means for moving particulateproducts along the length of said trough-shaped channel includes ahelical spring located in said channel and having a diameter less thanthe depth of said channel and driving means for rotating said springabout its axis.

3. The invention of claim 1 additionally including running members onwhich said container rests on said pedestal.

4. The invention of claim 1 additionally including a wire-like memberfixedly disposed across the bottom end of said container and extendingdiametrically near the upper surface of said pedestal for engagingparticulate products to cause movement of the particulate products intothe trough-shaped channel to insure substantially total evacuation ofthe particulate products from said vertical container.

5. The invention of claim 1 additionally including a seal jointpositioned between said pedestal and the lower end of said verticalcontainer, said seal joint including a circular channel surrounding thelower end of said vertical container and vane means extending from theexternal periphery of the lower end of said vertical container into saidchannel to remove any particulate products from said circular channel.

6. The invention of claim 1 wherein said drive means includes means fordriving said container and said helical spring differentially.

7. The invention of claim 6 wherein said drive means includes two driveshafts, said helical member being connected to one of said drive shaftsand a roller connected to the other of said drive shafts and whereinsaid roller frictionally engages flange means forming a part of thevertical container for rotating said container.

8. The invention of claim 6 wherein said drive means includes a singledrive shaft connected to said helical spring and wheel means having aradial drive segment capable of making contact for a fraction of arevolution with flange means forming a portion of the lower end of saidvertical container.

9. The invention of claim 1 wherein said vertical container includes anupper portion fixedly supported and a lower portion comprising a skirtconcentric with said upper portion, said skirt being rotatably mountedwith respect to the upper surface of said pedestal which extendsoutwardly beyond said skirt.

10. The invention of claim 9 additionally including a circular jointpositioned between said fixed portion of said container and saidrotatably mounted skirt.

1. A device for feeding particulate products at controlled rates from avertical container, said device comprising a stationary pedestal havinga smooth upper plane surface and a lower surface positionable on anyplanar supporting surface, a bottomless vertical container having avertical axis with said vertical container being mounted for rotation ofits lower end about the said vertical axis on said smooth upper planesurface of said pedestal, drive means for rotating said bottomlessvertical container about said vertical axis, a trough-shaped channel insaid smooth upper plane surface extending transversely beneath andoutwardly beyond the periphery of the lower end of said verticalcontainer for receiving particulate products from said verticalcontainer and means for moving particulate products in saidtrough-shaped channel along the length of said trough-shaped channel tobe discharged from one end of said trough-shaped channel outwardlybeyond the periphery of said vertical container.
 2. The invention ofclaim 1 in which said means for moving particulate products along thelength of said trough-shaped channel includes a helical spring locatedin said channel and having a diameter less than the depth of saidchannel and driving means for rotating said spring about its axis. 3.The invention of claim 1 additionally including running members on whichsaid container rests on said pedestal.
 4. The invention of claim 1additionally including a wire-like member fixedly disposed across thebottom end of said container and extending diametrically near the uppersurface of said pedestal for engaging particulate products to causemovement of the particulate products into the trough-shaped channel toinsure substantially total evacuation of the particulate products fromsaid vertical container.
 5. The invention of claim 1 additionallyincluding a seal joint positioned between said pedestal and the lowerend of said vertical container, said seal joint including a circularchannel surrounding the lower end of said vertical container and vanemeans extending from the external periphery of the lower end of saidvertical container into said channel to remove any particulate productsfrom said circular channel.
 6. The invention of claim 1 wherein saiddrive means includes means for driving said container and said helicalspring differentially.
 7. The invention of claim 6 wherein said drivemeans includes two drive shafts, said helical member being connected toone of said drive shafts and a roller connected to the other of saiddrive shafts and wherein said roller frictionally engages flange meansforming a part of the vertical container for rotating said container. 8.The invention of claim 6 wherein said drive means includes a singledrive shaft connected to said helical spring and wheel means having aradial drive segmeNt capable of making contact for a fraction of arevolution with flange means forming a portion of the lower end of saidvertical container.
 9. The invention of claim 1 wherein said verticalcontainer includes an upper portion fixedly supported and a lowerportion comprising a skirt concentric with said upper portion, saidskirt being rotatably mounted with respect to the upper surface of saidpedestal which extends outwardly beyond said skirt.
 10. The invention ofclaim 9 additionally including a circular joint positioned between saidfixed portion of said container and said rotatably mounted skirt.